The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1887-12-15


GATED BY PRESIDENT CLEVELAND
WOULD DESTROY AMERICAN MANU-
FACTURES AND MAKE PAUPERS OF THE
WORkINGMEN.
New York. Dec. THE Tribune S /
Paris correspondent cables to that paper d
report giving the views OF Mr.. Blaine on
the President S mess ge, Mr.. Blaine SAID
to the Tribune representative: Il nave
been reading an abstract Of the president S
message and have been especially inter
ested in the comments OF the London
papers. Those papers all assume to de-
clare the message is a free trade mani
festo, and evidently are anticipating
large market for English fabrics in the
United States as a consequence OF the
Presidents recommendation. Perhaps
that fact stamps the character of the
message more clearly than any words OF
mine can"
you dom mean actual free trade with
out duty?" queried the reporter.
Mo- replied Mr.. Blaine. Nor do the
London papers mean that. They simply
mean that the President has recommended
what in the United States is known as
revenue tariff. rejecting the protective
feature as an object, and not even permit
ing protection to result fully as an Incl
dent to revenue duties
II don't know that / quite comprehend
that last point said the reporter.
II mean, - said Mr.. Blaine. THAT for the
first time in the history OF the United
States the President recommends retail
ing the internal tax in order that the tariff
may be forced down even below the fair
revenue standard. He recommends that
the tax on tobacco be retained, and thus
that many millions annually shall be levied
on domestic product which would far
better come from tariff on foreign fab
RIGS.
Mr.. Blaine fayors the repeal of the to-
bacco tax He said: II should urge that
it be done at once. even before the Christ
mas holidays. 1t would. in the first place.
| bring great relief to growers of ,obacco'all
| over the country, and would. moreover,
materially lessen the price Of the article
to consumers. Tobacco to millions OF
men is necessity. The President calls
| it luxury. but it is luxury in no other
sense than tea and coffee are lnXuries.
| The only excuse for such a tax Ia the
actual necessity under which the govern
ment found itself during the war. and the
years Immediately following. To retain
the tax now in order to destroy the pro-
| lection which would incidentlly flow from
raising the same amount of money on
| foreign imports is certainly most extra
ordinary policy for our government"
We'll, then Mr.. Blaine, would you ad-
wise the repeal Of the whiskey tax also?''
mo, would not. Other considerations
than those of financial administration are
to be taken into account with regard to
whiskey. There is moral side to it. To
cheaper the price of whiskey is toincrease
the consumption enormously. There
| no in
wrought by high license in many states if
the national government neutrallZes she
good effect by making whiskey within
reach of every one at 20 cents gallon.
Whiskey would be everywhere distilled If
the surveillance Of the government were
withdrawn by the remission OF the tax
and illicit sales could not then be pre-
vented even by q policy as rigorous and
searching as that with which Russia nur-
sues the nihilists. 1t would destroy high
license at once in all the states. Whiskey
has done great deal of harm in the United
States. l would try to make it do some
coed. l would use the tax to fortify our
cities on the seaboard. In view of the
powerful letter addressed to the Democrat
ic party on the suject of Notifications by
the late Samuel J. Tilden in 1885, 1 am
amazed that no attention has been paid to
the subject by the Democratic admins
tration. Never before in the history Of
the world has any government allowed
great cities on the seaboard, like Philadel-
phia, New York, Boston, Baltimore. New
Orleans, and San Francisco 10 remain de-
fenseless. -
But" said the reporter. ''you don't
think we are to have war in any dlrection?'
Certainly not" said Mr.. Blaine
neither, presume, did Mr.. Tilden when
he wrote his remarkable letter. But We
should change a remote chance into an
absolute impossibility, if our weak and ex
, posed points were strongly fortified. II
? today we had by any chance for even such q
war as we had with Mexico, our enemy
could procure ironclads in Europe that
would menace our great cities with de-
struction or lay them under contribution. }
3 But would not our fortifying now pos
sibly look as if We expected war 2''
:, "Why should it any more than the forti
ficat.ons made seventy or eighty years age
by our grandfathers when they guarded
themselves against successful attack from
the armament Of the day? We don't nee
essarily expect burglar because we lock
oul doors at night, but if by any POSSIBLE
/ ity burglar comes it contributes vastly
: to our peace Of mind and our sound sleeI
, to feel that he can't get ill.,
Further, Mr.. Blaine Informed the Tri
bune's representative that he would main
: tain the tax on whiskey, $50 long a.
Q there is whisky TO tax, and when The
national government should have no pst
for the money | would divide the ta1
1 among the federal union with the specific
T object of tightening the tax ON real estate
e The houses and. farms of the whole coun
Y try pay too large proportion of the tota
:, taxes. If ultimately relief could be giyel
in that direction it would. in my judgment
be wise and benefcent policy"
Concerning protection to wool growers
3 Mr.. Blaine said; $ | should seriously OBJ
:. ject to the repeal of the duty On wool II
, repeal that would work great injustice t.
q many interests and would seriously dis
! courage what we should encourage namely
| the sheep culture among farmers through
:, out the Union. To break down wool grow
, ing and be dependent on foreign countries
q for the blanket under which we sleep ant
the coat that covers our backs is not
wise policy for the national government +
enforce
/ Ine question of labor. Mr.. Blaine de
e clared, underlaid the whole subject.
t The interview, which is of cODSiderabl,
+ length. gives lucid statement of Mr.
Blaine views on the tariff of 1916 and it
results. Mr.. Blaine holds that 8 tariff dit
|
s commended by the President, namely. thl
a retaining of direct internal taxes in ordc
! to abolish indirect taxes levied on foreign
fabrics. But the country had peculiar
e advantages under it by the Crimean war
involving England, France, and Russia
and largely impairing their trade. All
these incidents, or accidents, if you choose
were immensely stimulating to trade il
the United States, regardless of the natur.
of our tariff. But mark the end of thi
L European experience with the tariff of 1916
: which for q time gave an illusory and de
: ceptive show Of prosperity. It's enact
ment was Immediately followed by tht
Mexican war; then, in 1S4S. by the great
commissions of Europe; then, in 1S49 ant
the succeeding years. by the enormous
gold yield in California. The powers
made peace in 1856, and at the same time
the output Of gold in California fell off
Immediately the financial panic of 1851
came upon the country with disastrous
force. Though we had in these years
mined a vast amount of gold in California
every bank in New 7 ork was compelled to
suspend specie payment. Four hundred
| ~, Lol l%oa,